It is a common feature of business record-keeping to maintain duplicate paper copies of transaction records. Such transaction records are frequently filled out sequentially by various individuals having differing responsibilities with respect to a given transaction. Thus, for example, a receiving clerk will enter certain minimal identifying information on a transaction slip upon receipt of a shipment of merchandise, after which the slip and a copy of the entries thereon may be respectively forwarded to the bookkeeping department and to other departments having associated responsibilities
To this end, a transaction form was heretofore developed having pre-printed control numbers (transaction numbers) on a given number of sequential tear-off slips overlying one or more carbon paper sheets, these in turn overlying one or more master transaction record sheets. The receiving department clerk thus would enter appropriate information onto a record entry area on one of the slips, tear-off the slip for further processing, and retain the one or more master transaction record sheets which would contain copies of all entries made on the various slips. The transaction record slips were, in one form, individually removably joined at their left-most edges to the one or more master record sheets, and overlaid in vertically offset fashion in much the same manner that shingles are laid on a roof. Thus, the bottommost tear-off slip was located over a portion of a carbon sheet overlying the top portion of a master record sheet, with overlying slips being offset sequentially downward. The record entry areas were located at the top of each individual slip, and the one or more master record sheets were provided with matching record entry areas delineated by printing, each master record sheet record entry region lying immediately below the record entry area of an associated slip. Each record entry area of each master record sheet had a pre-printed transaction number thereon corresponding to a transaction number printed on the slip having its record entry region lying immediately thereabove. In such a system the relevant entry is made in the exposed record entry area of the bottommost slip, automatically being recorded opposite its associated transaction number on the master record sheet, after which this slip is removed and forwarded to the appropriate record handling department. Its next overlying slip is then in contact with the carbon paper below and ready for similar entry. One thus achieves on a given master record sheet a consolidated listing of a great many transactions.
One problem with the foregoing structure is that it is expensive to fabricate and is inherently fragile. The tear-off slips are joined at one edge over a relatively narrow length, making them vulnerable to being accidentally torn, lost or misaligned. Moreover, it is evident from a manufacturing standpoint that such a system of forms is expensive to fabricate, since individual slips must be individually emplaced and attached.
Thus, there is a need for providing a form similar to that just described, but which provides a structure which is not so fragile, and, most important, which can be manufactured at lower cost.